Photo courtesy of The Yazoo Herald
– YAZOO CITY, MS
At age 99, Leola Dillard says the 13th annual “free flea market” she held in her front yard on Make A Difference Day was her last. Her many admirers are skeptical. “We’ve heard that before!” says Dillard lieutenant Gloria Owens. “She’s always giving, giving, giving, and motivating others to do the same.”
We honored Dillard with our national award in 2009 after 10 free flea markets and 12 years of helping her less fortunate neighbors on Make A Difference Day. Early last Oct. 22, 50-plus volunteers once again transformed Dillard’s lawn into a mini-mall crammed with community-donated items for people in need. More than 400 came to “shop” for clothing, towels, furniture, photo frames, books, bikes and “what-nots” that had been stored for weeks in Dillard’s modest house and two portable storage units.
McArthur Straughter, mayor of this town of 14,000 in America’s poorest state, says Dillard is a living legend who has been “an inspiration to our city for years.” Adding to the legend: She honchoed the preparations for October’s market from her hospital bed after suffering a mild stroke. She was released only a week before the day she calls “the highlight of my year.” Says the mayor: “Make A Difference Day is one of the biggest days we have. Hundreds of people turn out for Mrs. Dillard, and then they go back into their communities and do good.”
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What a wonderful and courageous lady who has the giving spirit.
She will always be my inspiration. May God continue to Bless you Mrs. Dillard.
Love Always,
We are so proud of this wonderful lady. More of us need to have her spirit. On Feb. 6th she celebrated her 100th birthday. May God continue to Bless her.
She is my inspiration.LOL
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MRS. DILLARD
God continues to put amazing people in my life! Mrs. Dillard is such a joy!
She’s a great caring and wonderful woman.
Congtatulations Mrs. Dillard. We are so proud of you.
Mrs Dillard,
You are so special. My you continue to do God’s work.
I am Blessed to be able to help. Thanks be to God.
Mrs. Leola Dillard
MRS. DILLIARD IS TRULY A VIRTUOUS WOMAN.
Inspirational,Spiritual,Motovational and highly Devoted…
That’s my Grandma…:)
Mrs Dillard certainly is helping MS keep the Hospitality label we are famous for across this nation. JOY
Congratulations, Mrs. Dillard, you are truly a blessed lady.
Please vote for my granny. She’s 100 years old and is still doing things in her community to make a difference. She is an awesome person and loves to help others.
Love you Grandmom….!
MRS DILLARD YOU ARE A TRUE ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR COMMUNITY,KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Mrs. Dillard may God continue to bless and keep you. Thank you for your concern and love for others. With Christians like you this world would be a better place. Again, thanks for caring and sharing.
Truly a Champion!
Go grandma dillard love u much, gigi
Ms. Leola Dillard is a true 100 year old angel walking among this earth.
It’s always a blessing to see the positive side of Mississippi. There’s always the negative that catches the spotlight. Mrs. Dillard is one of the many positives in Mississippi, hopefully her light will shine bright on the other positive things going on in a state which has such a dark history.
Congrats to Mrs. Dillard, may God Bless and keep you for 100 more.
This is a good thing to do.
GG
What a blessing it is to know someone of this gracious lady’s character…100-years-”YOUNG” and still going strong and giving cheerfully. She is a a fine example of service to all human kind…never expecting anything in return. We thank God for Mrs. Leola Dillard and thank you, USA WEEKEND and Make A Difference Day affiliates, for letting our bright light – Mrs. Leola Dillard – shine across America!
It is truly a joy not only to know Mrs.Leola Dillard personally, but to live in the same community and city,and be able to attest to her wonderful spirit and generous heart. My prayer is that God continues to bless her with health and strength,to continue being a “pillar” in our community, and others around her learn the true spirit of GIVING!
Go Ms Dillard I am proud to know that a Mississippian especially your age are serving your community in Yazoo City, Ms. Keep up the good work and I pray that the Younger generation will follow in your footstep.Hope you have a Happy 100th Birthdaywhen it comes.
Oma Jean Lewis( Washington, D.C.)
Congrats to you Mrs. Dillard. It is a blessing to have a person like you on this earth. May God continue to bless you in your every endeavor.
Mrs.Dillard Is a woman who give with her heart and is loved by everyone.She ask for nothing in return for it is in heart to give.Her childrens have the same passion as she have to help and give .I know the city of yazoo love you as so does I.For you are an outstanding woman.LOVE YOU!
Congratulations, Mrs.Dillard, you are a blessing from God.
My inspiration and motivator. And all of that is good.We enjoyed the chat this morning. Thans for helping me to realize that all that we do is to promote God’s goodness and Glory. Hang in there’
Love, Beulah-Secretary and Tresurer of Yazoo Community Civic Club
I saw your lovely face Mrs. Dillard and it made me want to cry tears of pride. Your giving heart never ceases. I am 51 years old and my first ever summer jobs, starting in the 7th grade, were working for you at the playground on the hill named to this day in your honor. Then almost 40 years later you helped sponsor my 13 year old daughter on a 17-day trip to China last summer. You and my mom, Inell Leach, have been friends and big community supporters. I love you both.
Cassandra: I think it’s wonderful that you were a recipient of Mrs. Dillard’s giving spirit.What a blessing she has been to so many in her community!
Mrs Dillard, you are the greatest. It’s gives me so much joy to see someone from my birth state reaching out to assist their fellowman. At you age, I hope you can inspire the younger generation in America to follow in your footsteps. You have my vote and may the God of Heaven bless you with his richest blessings.
Mrs Dillard, you are the greatest. It’s gives me so much joy to see someone from my birth state reaching out to assist her fellowman. At your age, I hope you can inspire the younger generation in America to follow in your footsteps. It is always more blessed to give than receive. May the Lord smile on you and may He bless you with his richest blessings.
Mrs. Dillard you are truly a inspiration to all, May the love and the blessing of Jesus continue to rest upon you.
Love Mae
Mrs. Dillard is a blessing to all who come in contact with her. She is a living legend. One of a kind we LOVE YOU. We know what unconditional love mean Leola Dillard.
Congratulations, Mrs. Dillard. You are certainly a blessing.
Happy Birthday Mrs. Dillard, May God continue to bless and keep you.
Alright, world let’s get on the bandwagon and keep up this good work.
Luv you Mrs. Dillard and family.
Congratulations, Mrs Dillard. May the blessings continue to flow.
Congratulations to Mrs Dillard on being a blessing to so many other people.
Not only does Mrs. Leola Dillard (who is only 100-years-”young”) make a positive difference by sponsoring the FREE FLEA MARKET every year in our hometown of Yazoo City, MS, she gives freely of herself – time, talents and resources – every day to enrich the lives of children/youth, to strengthen families and to enhance our community. She’s an excellent role model…even for the politicians on the local state and national levels. Mrs. Dillard is always among the first to go to the polls…rain or shine…every EVERY ELECTION DAY to exercise her right to vote. Now let’s VOTE for her…the real ALL STAR!!!! Vote daily for Mrs. Leola Dillard’s FREE FLEA MARKET in YAZOO CITY, MISSISSIPPI.
You are a true inspiration to many across the country.
This is such a good story! God bless you guys!
MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS AND KEEP YOU MRS DILLARD.
My wife and I were Red Cross volunteers in Yazoo City right after Hurricane Katrina in Sept 2005. We saw first-hand what a great bunch of caring people live there and Mrs. Dillard is yet another wonderful example. What a role model for young and old alike!
BLESS U AND YOUR 100 YEARS YOUNG LIFE
BLESS U AND TURNING 100 YEARS YOUNG
BLESS U ON TURNING 100 YEARS YOUNG
Leola Dillard is an outstanding woman who has been blessed to live 100 years to show us that helping others and “making a difference” is what we are all but here to do.
GRANDMOM YOUR ON MY MIND GRANDMOM U ONE OF A KIND GRANDMOM GOD BLESS U AND HAVE A GOOD TIME
Congratulations, Mrs. Dillard. You were featured last year on t.v., for “Make A Difference Day” and again last week your 100th Birthday celebration. I knew then that I wanted to meet you. Well, today on President’s Day – how appropriate – that happened for me and my grandchildren Jared and Jarel Owens. What was intended as a short visit became a little longer stay. The stories that you and your daughter Jewel told and photos and letters you so graciously shared were inspiring. You encouraged Jared and Jarel to continue their education and do the right things in life. We will always remember you for your mission to others by giving. May you and your family be blessed. Rolean, Jared and Jarel.
Mrs. Dillard’s spirit has rubbed off on many in the Yazoo City community. With this humble recognition, may it continue to spread throughout the nation.
Mrs. Dillard, you are an angel, and your works please the Lord. We love you.
Daisy
Mrs. Dillard, you are an angel, and your works please the Lord. We love you.
Daisy
Mrs. Dillard, your spirit of love has flooded my heart, and your generosity is amazing. We love you dearly.
Daisy
Mrs. Leola Dillard is a very outstanding lady… She has spent all her life helping others…
Very good and inspiring service to mankind. What a blessing for all involved.
Ms. Dillard is a phenomenal individual who is truly an inspiration. I don’t see how Margaret and Gloria keep up with her but kudos to you all! Thank you Ms. Dillard for you.
We love u Mrs.Dillards for everything u have done for Yazoo County.
Mrs. Leola Dillard is a very wonderful woman whom I knew and grew up on brickyard hill. All ways help any and everybody she could. This lady I Love very much, a woman of God on heart and the heart of many.I am so proud to have known you and how you expire me to do the thing that I do for the community and the young people of my community. May God bless you and keep your for a 100 more years.It a woman like you that make the world go around. GOD BLESS you.
While the article mentioned “America’s poorest state,” as Mississippian’s— we know the wealth that is ours because of Mrs. Dillard and others like her across our state. If you measure the value of “neighbor reaching out to help neighbor,” we are enriched by prosperity that transcends worldly goods.
Thank you to USA WEEKEND and Points of Light Institute for helping to elevate the great value that our community heroes like Mrs. Dillard bring to their community, our state and our nation.
If Mrs. Dillard has inspired you to get involved, please feel free to visit http://www.mcvs.org and click on “Get Involved, Mississippi!”
Volunteer Mississippi is your state office of volunteerism with the mission to engage and support Mississippians of all ages and backgrounds in service to their own communities.
You are loved, adored and appreciated, Mrs. Dillard!
David Mallery, Executive Director
Volunteer Mississippi
(Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service)
What an inspiring and awesome story!! A story of a lifetime of love and service for your fellow human beings! Thank you so much Ms. Dillard!! May GOD continue to use you and bless you!!
I would like to vote for you, but I am unable to do so. USA Weekend
encountered problems and they have not been fixed. Atleast, on my
computer, I am not allowed to vote. I regret this so much and am
very frustrated. I don’t see how this procedure of voting on line
will be fair since many of us have been blocked from voting. This
includes some of my friends who informed me of the same sitiuation.
Mrs. Dillard, I love you and have been voting for you — but recently, something has gone terribly wrong with the online voting process. Will the organizers please fix the problem or institute another way of voting? 100 years and still “MAKING A DIFFERENCE” is a winner, in my book!
Congratulations, Mrs. Dillard, one being named to the “All-Star Award” list. You have already meant so much to so many through the years of your free flea market in Yazoo City. You are such an inspiration! We all need to take note of what one person can do to make the world a better place. I pray that the younger generation is taking note of your example! May God bless.
way to go mrs Dillard may God’S BLESSING FOLLOW YOU
Congratulations, you are a All-Star Winner in our book. You have made a difference in our LIFE. We pray that God will continue bless and use you in all you do.
Go Granny! I think that you are a special angel.
Thanks for all of the blessings.